Life, 1929-05-24 · page 20 of 36
Life — May 24, 1929 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon - "The Suburban Smoker":** This depicts a commuter on a train platform surrounded by smoke, with a speech bubble saying "WHY THE DICKENS?" The satire targets the nuisance of smoking in public spaces—specifically suburban rail commuters exposed to secondhand smoke. The exaggerated smoke clouds and the commuter's bewildered reaction mock the widespread inconsiderateness of smokers in shared transit environments. **Bottom Section - "Mrs. Pep's Diary":** By Baird Leonard, this diary entry (dated May 1) humorously describes household domestic observations. The accompanying cartoon shows what appears to be a barber shop scene with the caption "Really, Joe, you oughta get a haircut!"—a comedic domestic jab at poor grooming habits. Both pieces use gentle, everyday satire typical of Life's humor style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
5 2 Hoe Posi Diary by May 1—Protesting roundly Baird at the appearance of coffee Leonard on my breakfast tray, when I do usually take tea, but Samuel did enjoin me to sample it, forasmuch as he had made it himself from the steeping-formula in “Food and How to Cook It,” which Mistress Helen Wells did lately co-write and send me from California, and Lord! it was the first decent cup of the bev- erage I have tasted since visiting A. Doods years ago, and so cheered me that I could rise superior to the deluge of April bills, which contrast so strangely with May-baskets. More- over, the menus in this book so de- licious-sounding that I, who am afraid even to light a gas stove, am inspired to learn to prepare them myself, albeit Sam, hearing my decision, did thank God it was no ‘enterprise which re- quired the purchase of a course of uckets or a special outfit of clothing. Demanding whatever pence he might have upon him, he did express his mystification at my passionate hoard- ing of copper coins, and I could think of no rejoinder save that some day I may go again to Naples and require suitable alms for the harbour divers. Lay abed, pondering whether, now that the season of open windows is upon us, there should not be a statute requiring all radio operators in the same zone to get identical stations at certain hours, and then Laura Jen- nings for luncheon, whereat she ate escalloped halibut, spiced beet salad, ® popovers and a fruit lummery, whilst I enjoyed the lima bean debauch on which I have set my heart and mathe- matical ability for days. L. confiding, after she had quaffed modestly of the wine cup which accompanied her meal, that she felt like going out and push- ing over a bus, I did caution her not to shop this day for the wedding pres- ent she had come to town to buy, mind- ful of the Christmas season when, after two mild Martinis, she had set forth and spent on her friends four times the sum she had intended to lay out. Nor did I think it wise to get up a bridge game for her, neither, since after a thimbleful of any spirituous liquor soever, thirteen indifferent cards look to her like a slam bid, and the (Continued on Page 31) Buorro: Really, Joe, you oughta get a haircut! comicbooks.com